Theme Song for the Day: I AM WOMAN!

Here's my favorite girls.  We are strong. We are invincible. We are women!

Jump out there and go for it!!!!!

I was so excited when my sista from another mista told me that she was starting her own business.  She is one hell of a woman with experience, boldness, a supportive family and friends, and the drive to make it happen.  I was so proud of her when she text me the news yesterday.  I have seen her work up close and personal and she is absolutely phenomenal at what she does.  I 'm not just saying this because of my love for her but because she is a great master of her craft. 

If I can count how many women are around me who have massive talent but hide behind the fear of failure or success, I would own a small island.  Each day, I encourage women in my circle who have not yet got past the fear bump to just take a few steps back, run and jump right into what it is that they want to do.  It absolutely drives me crazy to see talented, beautiful women spend countless hours behind a desk or in a job wishing they were doing what it was that they really want to do.  Listen, I understand fear.  Been there.  I understand finances.  Been there to.  But I also understand what it is to wake up everyday, going through the daily routine of work and home, daydreaming that my life was different. It wasn't until I began to surround myself around women and men who were farther along than me, that started thinking to myself, "there is no difference between me and them except their willingness to sacrifice and work like crazy to live the life they desire." 

Many of the women in my circle are extremely successful.  Their success is not measured by what they bring home but the joy they have in their life.  They are successful because they are doing exactly what they want to do.  That is living!!!!!!  I encourage all of us to live.  No day should go by where we don't feel fulfilled in something.  That is not life.  It is merely existing.  Step out on faith, believe in your talent, put the work in, develop your support network (you will need one) and go for it!!!!!  I'm cheering for you.  When one woman does it, it means we all can do it.  So, on a count of three, we will say it together: I CAN DO THIS.  I DESERVE TO BE HAPPY. I AM GREAT AT WHAT I DO. I AM AMAZING AND EVERYTHING THAT I DO WILL BE GREAT!!!!!!  Now all you have to do is believe it and execute.  Go!

 To my sista from another mista, here is a raised glass to you.  Thank you for your boldness and your incredible spirit.  I will be watching so I can learn to soar just like you.

Question?

In church today the Pastor said something that I believe should have been said in churches all along.  First, let me say that I attend a Methodist church with an incredible praise and worship band (just needed to say that). Back to my point, he said, "God does not need us to be angry believers.  We can be friends with people who don't believe what we do.  It is through you lifestyle and how you love that God is glorified."  Here is my question: Why don't we all believe this?

I am not going to go on a religious soap box.  This is not what this blog is about.  However, I am a lover of people and I believe that every person has a right to choose how they live life for they are the person who has to answer for their actions. I have never been one to limit my relationships because of differences, I do limit in integrity clashes but I realize that we all have issues and some issues we have work out by ourselves and others are worked out from deposits of other people.

Because I believe in the concept of love, I understand that love is what changes the hearts of people and is ultimately what we all respond to. I don't need to beat my beliefs over the head of people, drag them into my world of knowledge, shove a book in their hand for notes, and make them become a student of my world to get it.  Perhaps if we exercise the idea of love, compassion and patience, we can all recover from our issues.

Question: Didn't God come to show love to those who didn't know him.  I don't believe I have ever read that he beat people up to make them follow him, do you? 

Off the soap box now.

Two Paths, Choose One.

The economic crisis that we all are feeling the pinch of has many questioning their next move.  We all hear countless accounts on the news of companies who are closing their doors, people who have lost their homes, and just overall sadness surrounding our economic state. 

I ran into an old colleague of mine who had become a casualty of this financial war.  I listened as she told me that she had been laid off of work since the beginning of last year and had found it extremely difficult to find employment.  As I listened, I tried to think of different ways to help her.  I offered money, she wouldn't accept.  I tried to think of open positions that I knew of, she told me that none were in her field.  I asked her if she thought about going back to school to improve her skill set, she told me that she didn't have the energy. 

After numerous suggestions I realized that no matter what I said, she would find something to go against it.  Finally I asked her, "what do you want to do?" She stood there and give me an answer.  Everyone is experiencing difficulty in their lives. Everyone! If its not financial, its emotional,mental or spiritual, sometimes it can be all of these things at one time.  The key is understanding that you make take a fall.  Its okay.  Everyone comes to a fork in the road.  You must decide if you will follow the path of depression and pity of if you will choose to go down the path of get it together and success.  You have a choice. You may have handed it over but you can definitely get it back.   Don't ever think that your choice has been taken. 

Be courageous in your life.  Choose the path that is best for you.  The economy will turn around.  We have grandparents that lived through the depression.  What goes up must come down.  Position yourself to be in place for the turn around.  This is temporary and so is your setback.  Pull it together and choose!

Can I have it all or is there a trade off somewhere?

Anyone who knows me, knows my insatiable desire to see every idea that is present in my head come to life.  I don't really believe in signs but I am a true Aries.  I have my hands in many different pots, stirring them all at appropriate times.  I am what many would call a renaissance woman.  I proudly wear the title.

Okay, here is the dilemma.  I have been grinding  hard for the past  ten years.  I am finally reaping the fruits of my labor.  I am at the place where I no longer have to prove myself like a new girl out of college, the track record speaks for itself.  Getting to the dilemma.  My personal life is non existent.  I work, work, and work like crazy.  I will tell you that I absolutely love to work.  I love to transition companies, write articles, interview people, brand people and businesses, etc, etc. Yet I am getting older and find myself questioning if I can really have it all.

A friend of mine told me that she believes that I can have it all, just not at the same time.  Really?  So at what point do I trade off one passion for another.  A very good friend of mine, who is a male, has this conversation with me all the time.  I ask him if he thinks that I am being greedy in wanting a career and a family.  More specifically a man that will understand my need to work and who encourages my drive.  He just shakes his head and tells me the same thing all the time, "No Diana, you just need to be patient and wait for him to show up."  Great.  I know. I know. Patience is a virtue.  To be continued...

Shanti encouraged the birth of Diana's Diary.

I had the pleasure of speaking with Shanti Das one afternoon.  She has been in the music industry as an executive for over 20 years.  Not too long ago, Shanti left her senior executive position at Motown records to move to Atlanta to be closer to her Mother.  Shanti was so confident in her decision to leave a career that so many men and women desire to obtain, that it struck me.  It struck me because here I am in the genesis of my publishing career trying to figure balance and working crazy night and day.  On the other line was a woman who gave up that life to reconnect with what really mattered to her.  Her voice was quiet yet firm, she understood her purpose and she spoke to me at a time when I needed to be confirmed in mine.

Shanti is the reason why this blog came to life.  I wanted to be able to share my thoughts, my life's impacts from various sources.  As an Editor-in-Chief, I have to be careful to remain bias in my writing and research.  I am often the person who is constantly pouring into the lives of other people, but there are priceless moments when I am placed in the student's chair and required to take notes. Love it!  I come across so many incredible people of which I have the awesome opportunity of both speaking and sharing personal thoughts with.  It was because of this specific conversation that I wanted to have a space for this inspiration. 

Thanks Shanti.  She will inspire you too.  Pick up her latest book, The Hip Hop Professional.

http://thehiphopprofessional.com/

To read Shanti's interview, please visit:
http://www.hopetodaymagazine.com/article_Lifestyle_Former_Motown_Executive_releases_new_book_switch_lanes_to_mentor_and_inspire_new_artist.html

Love these bags!

I am a very eclectic woman.  I am a short woman who loves big things.  Take it how you will but I am talking accessories!  I love huge totes, exotic colors, vintage jewelry, my list could go on for months.  A good friend of mine, Alexandra Miranda makes the most amazing bags and jewelry.  I am hooked!  Here is a plus for you if you are one concerned for our environment; her items are eco-friendly.  Love this!!!!!

http://www.alexandramiranda.com/

My guilty indulgence......

Okay so I have this entire healthy way of eating down.  I have IBS so anyone who has this issue knows that simple things can trigger. I was told about a month ago that in order for me to get a handle on this annoying ( I don't even know what to call it) I had to cut out almost everything enjoyable.  Its been working.  I am not a big sweets person anyway BUT I fell in love with cupcakes.  Not just any cupcakes, but Brown Betty Dessert Boutique cupcakes in the Northern Liberties section of Philadelphia.

My first encounter with this treat was with the coconut cupcake.  I tell you, I levitated after my first bite.  It took all my appointments, hectic scheduling, articles, interviews, companies, ringing phones, and worries away for just a few minutes.  I have never tasted anything like this before.  I have had good cupcakes and other yummy treats, but this surpassed them all. 

The cupcake was so good that I just had to set up a feature interview with the owner.  Stay tuned for the interview with Norrinda Brown.

Arianna Huff: small idea to execute great results.

Arianna is the Editor-in-Chief of The Huffington Post.  As a member of the Editor-in-Chief club, I know that her plate is overflowing.  Here she shares a very important element to unlocking the many ideas inside of us -sleep.  Take a look.

Sleep! Where are you? Insomnia has entered the building.

For the past month, I have been doing the tango with my sleep.  I can't really call it a dance because it takes two people.  I am just lying there to tired to even kick a leg up.  At about 2 or 2:30 every morning, my eyes pop wide open.  I have been here before with my battle with insomnia that lasted a good five months, so I see where this is leading.  With my many jobs, too tired to list them all, I go to bed with two million thoughts running through my head trying to silence them all or at least tell myself to close my eyes, count from a hundred backwards and that I will deal with it all in the morning.  Does it work, of course not!  My to do list whispers and then screams at me concerning all of the things that I have to do and all of the things that need to do that are not on that list. 

I lay awake at night looking at the every corner of the room.  It reminds me of the episode of Lipstick Jungle when Wendy looses her job.  She lays in bed and notices how dirty the windows and gets up to wash them.  That's me.  I notice everything.  After the argument I have in my head with sleep and insomnia, its 5am.  I finally drift off to sleep then the alarm goes off at 6.  Can't catch a break.

Maybe I will try imagery, yoga, or have someone just knock me out.  Either way, I am chasing after sleep.  I will catch it soon, if I am lucky it will meet me on a sandy white beach in front of blue water. 

Sometimes you gain a friend in an unlikely situation.

Recently I did an interview with a lovely woman by the name of Taylor Armstrong. You may have seen her on the hit franchise series, "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills."  When Taylor called me for her interview it was about 7pm EST.  She was in the airport waiting for her plane and I was at home, on a Friday night.  If you have watched Taylor on the show, you see that her smile is truly infectious and her laugh is contagious. 

Taylor and I had an instant connection.  It was as if we were old friends catching up with one another in the midst of two hectic schedules. I must tell you that she is probably one of the most genuine people to have entered my life.  Television portrays a limited character, however, when you have the ability to enter into a journey of friendship with a person, you have a close view of character and integrity. Taylor is a woman who infuses her passion and business together leaving an imprint of compassion.  My kind of girl!

I am a very cautious person when it comes to who I allow in my life.  We have all had experiences where we have allowed people to become close to us, who we should have dealt with at an arms length, experience has taught me to guard my heart for I have learned that hard lesson.  However, every now and again, life surprises you with a little gift in the form of a person.  You never know why a person comes to you when they do.  It almost makes you wonder: are people given a number or a specific time to present themselves to you?  I really don't have the answers to this question.  What I do know is that everyone who is apart of my life at this time is for me to learn from or for me to share.  I welcome it all with open arms.  Thanks Taylor for being apart of my life.

To read my interview with Taylor:

http://www.hopetodaymagazine.com/article_Lifestyle_Adding_value_with_The_Real_Housewives_of_Beverly_Hills_cast_member_Taylor_Armstrong.html

Sheryl Sandberg: Why we have few too many women leaders.

Food for thought.  Chew slowly.  Still chewing myself. 

Mistake...learn and grow.

Why is it that we become so hard on ourselves when we make bad choices?  We don't receive a blue print at the time of birth to help us navigate through this journey.  The only way to understand life is to be an active participant and go through it. 
I recall a time in school (Columbia University) when I got my first credit card.  In my eyes, I thought it was free money.  The once poor college student who survived on white rice through the week, now had the ability to dine at Carmines, attend plays on Broadway, and purchase jewelry in the village.  Before it was over, I had five credit cards, a school boudoir and dresser along with two racks filled with clothes.  I was above cloud nine.  Ramen noodles was not apart of my college experience.
However, the ignorance that Ihad with regards to credit and how it actually worked caught up with me quickly. I spent the latter part of my twenties cleaning up the mess that I created.  The experience of creating unnecessary debt and clawing my way out of the black hole, taught me how to wisely handle and budget my money.  Now I document every cent and every dollar is accounted for. If I had not made the mistake earlier in my life, the possibility of not having that experience then, could have cost me much more now.
The moral of the story: Calm down, mistakes happen.  Get up, look around, figure out how you got there, back track a little and move forward.  Your human, it happens.  That's what I keep telling myself :)

Just a thought.

This world has become so fast and instant.  I was reading the other day.  A woman said, "if you don't have a website or a blog, do you exist?"  I thought that statement was a stretch, yet it got to me a little.  I have quite a hand in the Internet and digital market place but I don't have a blog.  Is it true, am I non existent?  Blogs are a dime a dozen.  There are so many of them ranging in topic from food to sex.  This has become the new way to communicate!
In my eagerness to become apart of something (because I felt left out of the huge viral communication wave) I decided to start a blog.  New to this, I am! However, I thought, you know, I really don't want a blog that doesn't do anything but merely exist just for the purpose of having one.  I wanted to create a blog that had an actual purpose. Much like life, I don't merely want to exist because I am alive, but I want everything I do to count and to mean something significant for someone else.
So in my thinking, "Diana's Diary" was created.  This is really all about my thoughts, life lessons, who inspires me, famous people and friends that impact me, what makes me happy, sad, and every emotion in between.  This is me raw, uncut, and in the writing flesh.  My great hope is that in your reading my diary, it will empower you to act and create in your own life....just a thought.